Small business: Backbone of the economy

I started writing this column not long after USA TODAY launched USATODAY.com, back in 1995. A lot has changed in the last 20 years in the world of small business and most of it has been the better.

For instance, back then (although it is hard to believe today), I used to lament the lack of attention that small business received from folks generally, and the media in particular. Most of the business news at the time dealt either with the Dow or the then-emerging dotcom boom. Today of course it seems like everyone is a smallbiz expert, but that quibble aside, that there is so much small business information readily available today is a much needed and welcome sea-change.

Similarly, back then, when you launched a business, in many ways, you were on your own. But today? That too has changed, and again, for the better. These days, there is no shortage of people, organizations, websites, and tools designed to help the small businessperson succeed.

One of my favorites is an organization that has been around for the long haul, certainly a lot longer than this column. I first profiled SCORE and its CEO Ken Yancey in 2005. SCORE, as I said then and still know to be true today, is one of the best friends your small business can have. I have worked with SCORE on and off in the years since, and recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ken again and find out what's new. (Below is an abridged version of our chat. You can hear the whole thing on my podcast.)

Q: Great to catch up, Ken. For those who don't know, could you tell us what SCORE is and your vision for it?

A: You bet, Steve. SCORE is an organization of business men and women who volunteer their time in their communities to help small business owners, and people who would like to start a business. We do that really in two ways. The first is one-to-one counseling and mentoring that's available to anybody, for free. It works really well as our ten and a half thousand volunteers have substantial business experience and business knowledge and they're willing to share that to help others.

We also do a lot of workshops and seminars on a variety of topics, both online and off. (SCORE has 300 offices around the country and also a robust website at SCORE.org.)

Q: I love this idea of free mentoring. So often, people may understand one part of their business, but maybe not another. I always tell them to get a SCORE counselor.

A: We help in the neighborhood of 200,000 people every year. Last year alone we helped clients start more than 50,000 businesses. Our volunteers are incredible – they consist of entrepreneurs, educators, former generals and admirals, and even Fortune 500 executives.

Q: One of the biggest changes I see for you is the expansion of your online offering. Both your website and your social media presence have really expanded in the past few years.

A: It definitely gives us another opportunity to engage with and communicate with the people we are serving. Beyond that, we've worked really hard to improve the quality of our offerings. For instance, we have developed a certification process for our volunteers to train them on mentoring techniques.

Q: One of SCORE's latest projects is the American Small Business Championship. What is that?

A: We teamed up with Sam's Club this year to educate, coach, and train small businesses to help make them more successful. So we created a contest where anyone could tell us their story, the obstacles they have overcome, and we ended up choosing 102 companies. The winners are going to be honored at five different events around the country, and they also received a very generous gift certificate from Sam's club. Their stories were fantastic.

So yes indeed, the nature of business has changed a lot in the last generation, but one thing remains the same – small business really is the backbone of the American economy, and it is thanks to teammates like SCORE that that is so.

Today's tip: SCORE's American Small Business Championship events will also involve the local communities where they are being held with small business symposiums. You can attend and/or check them out here:

Steve Strauss, @Steve Strauss on Twitter, is a lawyer specializing in small business and entrepreneurship and has been writing for USATODAY.com for 20 years. E-mail: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com. Website: TheSelfEmployed.